Masters in Archaeology degrees can equip students with the concentrated knowledge, research skills, and practical experience necessary to advance in an archeology career or move on to pursue a Ph.D. in Archaeology. Archaeology is an interdisciplinary academic field where students learn to analyze the human past through investigation of material remains. If you have ever been to a museum of natural history and seen ancient pottery or remnants of dinosaur bones, you can be sure an archaeologist was involved.

Masters in Archaeology On-Campus Programs Overview

Students who choose to pursue a Masters degree in Archaeology on-campus should have prerequisite knowledge, gained from undergraduate study in a related field or through extensive professional experience. Archaeology Masters Programs provide students with the rudiments of archaeological methods and theories. Typically coursework, an internship or fieldwork and a thesis are required, and you may be looking at 2 -5 years to complete your degree depending on the university and whether you attend full-time or part-time.

Some Masters programs may focus on a very specific area of archaeology, such as: historical archaeology, geoarchaeology, industrial archaeology, environmental archaeology and zooarchaeology.

Students may also be able to tailor their masters degree program in Archaeology. For example, if you are interested in cultural resource management (CRM) you might enroll in courses on project planning, mitigation and data management. If you are a history buff, or historical archaeologist, you might find coursework in recording architecture and site preservation more practical. Aspiring museum curators would focus on art conservation and restoration.

How to Find a Campus-Based Archaeology Masters Program

GradSchools.com can help you find a graduate school for archaeology that has a masters program that aligns with your interests and future career aspirations. Search by location to determine what is available in the city, state or country you use as your filter. Some of the listings might include MA in Archaeology, MA in Applied Archaeology, or MA in Anthropology. Your next step would be to request info from the college or university; you can do this from the site.

Archaeology Masters Potential Coursework

Depending on the program you choose, a Masters in Archaeology curriculum might include learning excavation techniques, analyzing different materials, and methods of conservation and preservation. Fieldwork or a supervised internship is an important component of many Masters programs in Archaeology. These internships usually take place at approved sites in the public and private sectors, such as cultural resource management companies, government agencies, heritage sites, nonprofit organizations, or museums.

Students might also explore other disciplines from the humanities and social sciences such as geography, history, sociology, anthropology and languages. In fact, some programs do necessitate learning a foreign language.

In addition to lab and research methods, students might expect courses that may include:

Both archaeologists and anthropologists share some important qualities that may be useful in the workplace. Archaeologists are investigators. They use analysis and critical thinking skills to draw conclusions based on their findings whether from an excavation site, a laboratory experiment or research. In addition, archaeologists have to communicate their findings, so many of them learn several languages and are strong writers.

If you plan to work as a curator or archivist, your analytical skills will also be put to use. Furthermore, you will need to have good computer skills so you can develop databases. These types of careers require someone who is personable and organized, but also possesses strong technical skills, as historical objects need to be preserved and analyzed.

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